Baldasar: I will not return to SDP.
“When injustice becomes law, resistance becomes duty”, said Mayor of Split Ivo Baldasar, commenting on the decision of SDP Presidency to dissolve the local party organization in Split. He welcomed the idea of establishing a new social democratic party, which allegedly might form around supporters of Zlatko Komadina, who was opponent of Zoran Milanović in recent elections for party president, reports Večernji List on May 9, 2016.
Baldasar said that the decision to dissolve the Split party branch was not unexpected, but that its timing was, considering that it was made on the feast of St. Domnius, which is the patron saint of Split. “I am sorry for all the colleagues from SDP who have received this decision with great difficulty, especially older members of SDP. I expected they would evict me from membership or that they would dismiss me as president of the city party branch”, said Baldasar.
Baldasar will not re-enter SDP, but will run for mayor. “I will be an independent candidate”, said Baldasar at first, but later added that he might enter some other party. “I will certainly not get back to SDP. I will go my separate way because I think that Peđa Grbin was right when he said that our values were different. I consider myself to be a European social democrat. The current SDP led by Zoran Milanović has proven that it does not know what democracy is”, said Baldasar.
“To dismiss the whole city branch just because of me is an extreme situation. I believe that the Split party organization is one of the best organized in the whole country”, said Baldasar.
He added that yesterday he received a phone call from Zlatko Komadina. “He was really deeply disappointed. I have also heard from Davor Bernardić who told me what happened”, said Baldasar and added that there was no democracy in SDP. “SDP is turning into something that I thought was no longer possible”, said Baldasar.
He denied that he ever compared Zoran Milanović with Goebbels, but he did say that SDP methods were similar to Goebbels’s, which was only confirmed with the decision to dissolve the Split party branch. “Unfortunately, I have to agree with those who say that I was punished due to my relationship with veterans as well”, said Baldasar who once again denied any flirting with the Ustasha regime.
